Much like the member of the Parachute Regiment display team who landed with a thump on the scorers' hut, Essex lost control early at Castle Park. Under pressure from the start after David Hussey's 81 from 54 balls enabled Notts to set a target requiring their opponents to score at more than six runs an over, the Eagles made a brave enough fist of the chase but lost wickets too regularly to maintain their unbeaten record in this competition.

The Outlaws innings was given early momentum by Graeme Swann's quickfire 34. The pinch-hitter was particularly severe on the young pace bowler Mervyn Westfield, whose selection ahead of Grant Flower on a turning wicket was baffling. With Will Smith playing steadily, the introduction of Tim Phillips slowed the scoring rate but Notts still brought up the 100 in the 18th over.

Stephen Fleming, having hit several thumping drives, went soon afterwards, hitting across the line at Ravi Bopara to be well caught by Mark Pettini running in from the midwicket boundary, but Hussey was quickly into his stride. He got off the mark with a cover-driven four, and though Smith was another victim of Pettini's safe hands on the legside boundary, Hussey made his intentions clear by thumping James Middlebrook for a straight six.

It was the first of five powerful blows before he drove a Graham Napier delivery into the hands of Ronnie Irani at midwicket. Andy Bichel, bowling straight and for the most part pitching the ball up, had been picking up wickets at the other end, and continued to do so, ending with the first five-for achieved by a bowler in the First Division of the Pro-40.

Essex began badly with their openers Irani and Pettini falling before 20 was on the board. Bichel, promoted to pinch-hit following the withdrawal of Darren Gough - absent with what was described as a mild stress fracture of the left leg but not believed to be serious enough to threaten his chances of one-day international selection - also failed and it took a partnership of 82 in just under 10 overs between Andy Flower and James Foster to keep the Eagles in with a shout. Flower's run-out by Fleming was not the final nail in the coffin but it might as well have been.